Automatic stop and brake mechanism for sound-reproducing machines



June 15 1926.

J. C. MCPHAIL AUTOMATIC STOP AND BRAKEMECHANISM FOR SOUND REPFODUCING MACHINES Filedl June 17 1924 5 Shasta-Sheet 2 June 15 1926.

J. C. MCPHAIL AUTOMATIC STOP AND BRAKE MEGHANISM FOR SOUND REPRODUCING MACHINES Filed June 17. 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 prin.. nl V uw @ew June 15,1926. 1,588,977

, J. C. MGPHAIL AUTOMATIC STOP AND BRAKE MECHANISM FOR SOUND REPRODUCING MACHINES Filed JuneV 17. 1924 5 sheets-sheet 4 June l5 1926.

J. C. MCPHAIL AUTOMATIC STOP AND BRAKE MECHANISM FOR SOUND REPRODUGING MACHINES Filed June 17. 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 @LW (l.

Patented J une 15, 1926.

1,588,977 UNITED :stares `PATEIN'I JOHN v(3. MCPHAIL, GF SOUTH NEYMOTI-I, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO FRANK H. THAYER, -OF BGSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.,

AUTOMATIC STOP AIN-I) BRAKE MEGHANISM FOR SOUND-REPRODCING MACHJNES.

Application med .June 1v, 1924. semi No. 720,527.

This invention .relates .to automatic stop and .brake mechanism for so-und reproducing apparatus .of the type employing a rotating turn-table on which lthe record disc is mounted, with a sou-nd box mounted on a tone arm and equipped with a stylus for eng-agingthe grooves of the record. In certain aspects the invention has .to do par ticularly with an embodiment ot lsuch apparatusemploying.an electric motor `for operating the turntable, and 'a principal object of the invention is :to pro-vide eiiective and reliable means for automatically as the playing ot a record is finished, first ,disconv.necting the source of electric energy, Vand then applying `a brake .to the turn-table to.

stop the machine. A `further .object is to provide means adapted .to be set by a pre.- liminary movement-of ,the tone arm for controlling the automatic stop and .brake device, so that it will become operative at the instant the playing of the record is iinished. Ast-ill further object is .to provide improved means whereby the parts are semi-,automatically reset in readiness for Ioperation by a single movement of an .operating lever or hand piece. The Aforegoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description taken in yconnection with ythe accompanying drawings. and the distinctive features of novelty will be .pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a sound reproducing apparatus equipped with the invention. portions being broken away;

Fig. 1fl -is a fragmentary .view partly in velevation and partly in vertical section, 'showing a portion of the tone arm and the co-openative relation thereof with the Istop mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a partial plan view on a relatively enlarged scale, showing the essential Operating elements, Lthe turn-table being removed and -a portion of an Yenclosing cover being broken awa-y;

Fig. :3 is a fragmentary vertical section on line 3--3 of Fig;

.Fig 4: is a partial plan view similar to Figure 2, but showing the parts with the switch thrown out and the brake about to be applied.; v

Fig. 5 'is a partial plan view similar to port structure 4.-

ysupport structure.

l indicates the turn-table ot the machine which `is mounted as ,usual upon .an upright arbor or rotating post 2, this .arbor being journalled ina depending portion 3 o1 a sup- 5 indicates an lelectric motor secu-red in depending relation .to the support structure and having driving connec-tions by means of a pinion and lgear ,6, 7 4to oper-ate the turn-table. S vindicates an Velectric switch ywhich controls .the `current Supply to .the motor-5l this switch havin-g ya `movable element 821 .which when .pulled loutward disconnects the .current from the ,motor while when itis pushed inward .the motor is energized. V9 indicates a brake adapted .to

engage .the usual .depending peripheral flange la the turn-.table l. In accordance with ymy invention means is provided whereby vas the playing of a record ,is finished .the switch element 8 is first pulled out to de-energize the motor and immediately thereafter the brake 9 is applied .to .the "turn-table. The fsw-itch member Y8a is born .by a depending 'projection l0 from a plate arm ll, which is pivoted vat its inner end at l2 to ,the fixed .This arm ll bears `a stepped pivot pin 13, to .an outer portion Aof which is pivoted an .arm 14 which .extends .outward through an arcuate slot 15 of .a

cover Yplate 1:6 and bears at itsouter .end a knob or hand piece 17 for the manual re ysetting and Vcontrol :of the mechanism, the

outer extremity .of .this arm nesting upon, l

and co-opera.tive with, a Asegment .plate 18 Asecured to the cover 16.v -Also pivotally secured nto .the stud 13 `and in kfrictional engagement .with ythe handle arm la, is ,a plate `19 which has anouter portion 19a relatively Venlarged .to provide a bearing area upon the cover 16.011 which it slides.l This outer :portion of the arm 19 Iis .equipped with upward projection 20 which is adapted to .engage a shoulder 2l formed .on a .bent .plate arm 22,' which ris fitted .to turn von a @pivot ,23 borne .by the iXed support. The arm 19 .is engaged a tension coil spning 24C which is 'anchored fat 25 .to Vthe fixed support, this spring tending` to swing the arm 19 in a direction to pull out the switch plug 8a when the shoulder 21 is tripped to release the projection 20. The plate arm 22 may be moved to thus release the shoulder 21 from the projection 20 manually by means of a projection 26 borne by the handle arm 14 engaging a projection 27 at the extremity7 of the plate arm 22, and the plate arm 22 is also adapted to be tripped automatically by the movement of the tone arm as the playing of a record is completed. For this purpose a plate member 28 is mounted on the pivot stud 23 superposed on the plate 22 and in frictional engagement therewith, suoli frictional engagement being increased to a substantial degree by a spring washer 29, which is fitted on the outer portion of the stud 23 under a head thereof and thus adapted to press the plate 28 quite strongly against the plate arm 22. The plate arm 22 is engaged by a tension spring 30, which is also anchored at 25, this spring tending constantly to draw the plate arm 22 inward in position for the shoulder 21 to engage behind the projection 20. The plate 22 has spaced apart rearward projections 22a adapted to engage a fixed stud 31 to limit the swinging movement of said plate and the plate 28 also has similar projections 28a spaced farther apart and also adapted by en gagement with the stud 31 to limit the swinging movement thereof. By reason of the described frictional engagement of the plate 28 with the plate arm 22, a movement imparted to the plate 28 will move the arm 22 with it as far as permitted by the projections 22a, such movement being sufficient to trip the shoulder 21 out from under the projection 20. For thus moving the plate 28 automatically as the playing of a record is completed, it is equipped with an outward projection 32 which extends in position to be engaged by a downwardly projecting finger 33 borne by the tone arm 34. The plate 28 also has another outward projection 35 spaced angularly from the projection 32 and equipped with a curving outer end 35n in position to be engaged by the finger 33 as the tone arm swings outward to reset the plate 28 with reference to the arm 22; the purpose of the curving outer portion 35a of this arm being to prevent the finger 33 from engaging behind the same in a manner so that the parts would be interlocked. The purpose of providing a range of frictional adjustment between the plate 28 and the arm 22 is so that after a record has been placed on the turn-table and before the parts are reset as presently described, the tone arm may be swung inward, so that the stylus will be located at the inner extremity of the record groove indicated at X, and such movement will result in the finger 33 engaging the projection 32 and adjusting the plate 28 with reference to the arm 22, so that when the tone arm again reaches the same position after the parts are reset, it will be operative to trip the shoulder 21 oli of the projection 20 and operate the switch and brake. The plate 19 has an inwardly projecting portion 19b which extends inward well toward the turn-table arbor 2, and this plate portion has pivoted thereto at 36, a plate arm 37 which bears a cam projection 37a adapted when the arm 37 is projected outward to engage one 01' a series of upwardly projecting pins 38 borne by the turn-table support and rotatv ing therewith, there being as herein illustratively shown four of these pins quadrantally disposed. The plate arm 37 is en-y gaged by a tension spring 39, which tends to draw it inward so that the cani projection 37a is out of the path of the pins 38. Said plate arm is pro-vided with a projection 37b extending up through a slot of the plate portion 19b and engaging a ledge 40a on an arm 40 which is pivoted at 41 to the plate portion 191 and which is also engaged by the other end of the spring 39 which tends to draw said arm into position so that the ledge 40a may engage behind the projection 37b. The arm 37 has pivoted thereto at 42 an arm 43 which extends outward through a slot 44 in the cover plate and bears the brake 9 at its outer end. The outer portion of this arm 43 is provided with an elongated slot 45 through which passes the stud 31, so that said arm is guided in its in and out movement by the stud 31. The arm 37 is provided with an outwardly extending tail piece presenting a cam edge 4G.y which is adapted to engage a stud 47 as the plate 19 with the parts borne thereby are swung to re-setting position, this engagement of the cam edge 46 with the stud 47 causing the arm 37 to be swung outward so that the ledge 40 of the arm 40 is again` caught behind the projection 37b of said arm 37. The stud 37 is adjustably fitted to be fixed support. being borne by a block clamped to the support by screws which are adjustable in slots 48.

It may now be understood that assuming the parts to be set in running position as shown in Figure 2, as the play'ng of a record is finished the finger of the tone arm strikes the projection swinging the plate 28 and with it frictionaily the arm to dislodge the shoulder 21 from the projection 20. This permits the arm 19 under the action of the spring 24 to swing about the pivot 13 and also to some extent about the pivot 12. This results in pulling out the movable switch member or plug 8EL de-en gizing thel motor. This swinging movement of the plate 19 causes the inner portion 19" thereof to swing the arm 37 borne thereby into position so that the cam projection 371 is engaged by the next revolving pin 38 borne by the turn-table. As this occurs removal ot the record R and the placing` oi' a fresh record on the turn-table, the finger 33 engaging' the curving extremity 35 oit' the arm 85 presses the plate 28 backward with reference to the arm 22, the arm 22 being then restrained from further movement by the engagement of the inner one of the projections 22 with the stud 31. The

purpose of this setting back of the plat-e 28 with reference to the arm 22 is to insure that this plate will be so? located that when the tone arm is next swung inward to the inner extremity of the groove of the record as indicated by the line X, the finger 33 will engage the projection 32 to so locate the plate 28 that when the tone arm reaches the same position again artt-er the parts have been re-set in running position as indicated in Figure 2, the linger 33 again striking the projection 32 will swing the plate 28 and with it trictionally the arm 22 to dislodge the shoulder` 21 from the projection 2O and permit the stop and brake mechanism to operate. then the tone arm thus swung outward, the mechanism is hence in readiness so that when a fresh record to be played is deposited on the turn-table as the hand lever 14 is swung to starting position as indicated in Figure 2, the parte are r-e-set, the motor energized and the brake released to commence the playing of the record. To accomplish this the hand lever 1a is provided with a projection i9 which engages the plate 19 to swing the same about the pivots 13 and 12, so that the switch member di1 is pressed inward, the projection 20 caught behind the shoulder 21, and the inner portion 19b of the arm 19 swung so that the cam projection 37a of the arm 37 is borne out of the way of the pins 38. As this occurs, the cam edge 46 borne by the tail piece oi arm 37 engages the stud 47 and the arm 37 is thereby swung inward against the tension oit' the spring 39 so as to draw the brake 9 inward out of contact with the turn-table, and the projection 37 is caught behind the ledge 40a, thus locking the brake in inoperative position until the parts are again tripped as described. I am aware that the invention may be embodied in other .specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential atL ibutes thereof, and I therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respect-s as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the forogoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

I-Iaving described my invention, what I claim as new .and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a turn-table and tone arm, an electric motor for operating the turn-table and a brake, ot mechanism for cle-energizing the motor as the playing of a record is finish-ed .and for thereafter applying said brake, said mechanism embodying a trip device actuated by said tone arm and means receiving impulse from the turntable for applying the brake.

2. Apparatus of the kind described, comprising a turn-table, a tone arm, a motor for operating the turn-table, a brake, and mechanism for cle-energizing the motor and applying the brake as the playing ot a record is nished, said mechanism embodying a trip device having provision `for preliminary adjustment by the tone arm, and adapted for actuation thereby after the parts are re-set, and embodying also means receiving impulse from the movement of the turntable ior applying said brake.

S. Apparatus of. the kind described, comprising a turn-table, a tone arm, a motor for operating the turn-table, ya brake, and mechanism for cle-energizing said motor and applying said brake having connections rendered operative by said tone .arm at variable and selective positions thereof for different records, said mechanism embodying an adjustablel trip device, manual resetting means, and embodying also connections having a cam member engageable by a projection on the turn-table for movin said brake into operative position.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JOI-IN C. MCPHAIL. 

